1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to in-home communications systems for distributing audio and video signals to a plurality of locations. In particular, the present invention relates to a system for converting cable TV and other audio/video signals into wireless signals that can be distributed to TV sets at remote locations.
2. Description of the Related Art
Many homes contain multiple sources of audio/visual entertainment and communications signals, including cable or satellite TV feeds, and DVD, DVR, CD and/or VCR feeds. The cable or satellite TV feeds typically enter a residence and are routed via coaxial cables to each of a user's TV sets, cable set top boxes, satellite receivers, or the like. As a result, homes are often covered with cables, wires and other communications connections, and each time a TV set is to be moved from one location to another, the cabling must be rerouted and the connections moved. This is an inconvenience that also often leads to noisy connections and poor signal quality as a result of cutting and splicing the cabling.
A number of systems have been developed for wireless distribution of audio/visual signals. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,023,931 issued to Streck et al. discloses a system for transmitting a wireless signal from a VCR to a TV set. The output of the VCR is fed into a transmitter and sent to the TV receiver;
U.S. Pat. No. 5,708,961 issued to Hylton et al. discloses a system that provides wireless distribution of multiplexed channels from a digital broadband network to a customer's residence. A transmitter provides a wireless broadcast of the digital signal throughout the customer's residence. Terminal devices, such as cable set top boxes, are equipped with an antenna to receive the wireless broadcast. The terminal devices also have circuitry to process selected information from the broadcast for display on an associated TV set. However, this system does not distribute audio/video signals from the user's associated audio/video equipment, such as VCR, DVR and DVD players, to the remote terminal devices.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,647,015 issued to Malkemes et al. discloses a broadband, wireless network having a gateway for receiving input signals from a cable TV feed, a telephone system, a satellite TV feed, and the like. A plurality of receiver nodes communicate with the gateway through a wireless system. The gateway accepts all incoming communications and broadcasts these signals throughout a residence.
While these prior systems are presumably suitable for their intended purposes, there remains a need in the industry for an improved system for distributing video signals throughout a residence from multiple sources using a wireless broadcast.